Over half of children in England and Wales are now born to unmarried parents – overturning a history
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Over half of children in England and Wales are now born to unmarried parents – overturning a history of stigma and discrimination
Kate Gibson, University of Manchester
In 2021, more babies – 51% – were born to unmarried mothers in England and Wales than to those in a marriage or civil partnership for the first time since records began in 1845. This is a huge change. For centuries, “illegitimacy” and unmarried parenthood has been associated with stigma, shame and disadvantage.
The civil registration of births only began in 1845, but we have parish register data that goes back to the 16th century. Although it fluctuated, the “illegitimacy ratio” – the proportion of births marked as to unmarried parents in parish registers – never passed 7% of the total from the 16th century until the 1960s. Since then, however, the proportion has climbed steadily.
This increase shows not only that more babies are being born to parents who are not married, but that fewer parents are hiding the circums...
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